Professor Jennifer Westacott commenced as Chancellor of Western Sydney University in January 2023. She is the first woman to serve in the role. Prior to this, she spent 12 years as Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia.

Jennifer built her career in the public sector, working in senior leadership positions in the NSW and Victorian governments. She has served as the Director General of the NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources; the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Education and Training; and the Director of Housing in Victoria. She was also the Deputy Director General of the NSW Department of Community Services, and the Deputy Director General of the NSW Department of Housing.

As a senior partner at KPMG, Jennifer advised major corporations on climate change and sustainability and advised governments across Australia on significant reform priorities.

In 2025, Jennifer was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for her exceptional contribution to business, higher education, mental health and public service.

Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of New South Wales and in 2017 received an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Letters) from her alma mater. She was a Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics. 

Bryce Green
Investment and Trade Commissioner, ASEAN (Indonesia, the Philippines)
Invest and Trade Western Australia

Bryce is the Investment and Trade Commissioner for ASEAN (Indonesia) and works as part of Invest and Trade Western Australia. 

As the Investment and Trade Commissioner, Bryce and his team based in Indonesia and the Philippines work to attract investment and grow trade opportunities for Western Australian businesses in the ASEAN region. Bryce has a strong background in communications, media and strategic advisory consulting. 

He joined the Western Australian public service in 2022 as a member of the Strategic Partnerships team at Invest and Trade Western Australia, supporting the State’s key relationships in the ASEAN region. 

Prior to entering the public service, Bryce was based in Jakarta as a risk management consultant and analyst for one of the region’s premier strategic advisory firms. Bryce is also a former journalist and broadcaster in Western Australia. 

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and speaks Bahasa Indonesia. 

Jonathan Gilbert
Minister Counsellor for the Economic, Infrastructure and
Investment portfolio at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta

Mr Gilbert has 20 years of experience working for the Australian Government in senior management, high-level advocacy, foreign and trade policy, international security and crisis management roles in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. 

He currently serves as Minister-Counsellor (Economic, Infrastructure and Investment) at the Australian Embassy, Jakarta. 

From 2018 until 2022, Mr Gilbert was Australia’s Ambassador to Kuwait. Prior to that he served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Baghdad from 2015 to 2017. 

From 2011 to 2014, Mr Gilbert was First Secretary Political at the Australian Embassy in Manila. He also worked in the Defence Policy Office at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC between 2005 and 2007. 

In Canberra, Mr Gilbert has held a variety of policy and corporate roles including in the Office of Southeast Asia, South and West Asia Division, International Security Division, and People Division. 

He has also been an active member of DFAT’s Crisis Response Team and was deployed as part of Australia’s response to Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu and the earthquake in Nepal in 2015. 

Mr Gilbert holds a Bachelor of Economics (Social Science) degree from the University of Sydney, as well as a Master in International Studies. He has also studied at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC. 

Moderator

Dr Kate O’Shaughnessy
Research Director, Perth USAsia Centre

Kate brings to the Centre an academic background in Indonesian language and history, along with 16 years’ experience with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Her public sector experience spans providing policy advice to government on Australia’s interests in the Indian Ocean, to supporting development of the Australian aid budget, to intelligence analysis.

During her diplomatic career, she served in Ghana, as well as deployments to Lebanon, France and Nigeria. Immediately before joining the Centre in 2022, she was Australia’s High Commissioner to Mauritius and Seychelles, and Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros, advocating Australia’s Indo-Pacific vision to stakeholders across the western Indian Ocean.